


Be Mine

by ladyschrei



Series: Jimon Week 2017 [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, First Dates, Fluff, M/M, Valentine's Day, high school dance, very fluffy and soft I promise, with Luke DJ'ing!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-15
Updated: 2017-02-15
Packaged: 2018-09-24 17:23:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9774317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyschrei/pseuds/ladyschrei
Summary: Simon Lewis has never had a valentine before. With the school's Sweetheart Dance looming right around the corner, and no one to go with, he does the only logical thing he can think of - he asks out Jace Lightwood.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is for [Jimon Week Day Two](http://softjimon.tumblr.com/post/156228435321/jimon-nw-is-proud-to-announce-that-we-will-be) prompt: Valentine's Day. (It was supposed to be posted yesterday but AO3 kept going down so it's a day late whoops.) Also feel free to [follow me on Tumblr.](http://jacelghtwood.tumblr.com/)

Simon hates it. And he hates _admitting_ it.

Being alone? Sucks. Especially around Valentine's Day. Especially when he feels like the only one.

Only one alone, that is.

He watches Clary and Izzy in the halls between first and second period, giggling and kissing each other's cheeks, touching one another's hair softly and offering to carry each other's books.

He watches Maia and Maureen in third period biology, doodling hearts on each other's notes and whispering about whose house to study at after school, making a date to walk through the park after.

He watches Magnus and Alec during free period in the library, nuzzling together as they study for a history test, their palms pressed together on the table with their fingers intertwined.

And every time Simon sees it, there's a pang in his chest, an ache running deep through his body. He longs for someone to touch his hair, or walk with him in the park, or help him study for his tests. And not in a platonic way, either.

The day before Valentine's Day is the hardest. A huge pink banner hangs in the main hall announcing the Sweetheart's Dance the next day; _Ticket's still available!_ is newly written in white, scrawly cursive at the bottom. A reminder goes out over the morning news that today is the last day to buy Valentine grams, to be distributed during class tomorrow.

"Don't forget to send that special someone a rose and a box of chocolates, before it's too late!" a high-pitched female voice echoes excitedly through the school, before the intercom clicks off.

Simon can't stand it. He spends every class that day staring at his notebook glumly, drawing broken hearts and ones with arrows through them, some with his initials underneath; _SL + ?_

But that's the question, isn't it? Who's going to replace that question mark?

It isn't until lunch that day that Simon makes a decision.

He gets into the cafeteria early, his usual lunch spot nearly empty. Magnus and Alec are missing, having said earlier they were going to be spending their time in the computer lab working on a project. Clary and Izzy are at the very back of the lunch line, one that doesn't look to be getting any smaller sometime soon. And Maia and Maureen are working to help with the dance, selling tickets and Valentine grams in a booth outside the front office.

That only leaves one person: Jace. He's sitting alone, clad in black with his hair slicked back, munching on a tray full of fries and scrolling through his phone absentmindedly.

Simon knows it's now or never to make a move, and taking a deep breath, he marches over to the table, plopping down opposite Jace and smiling. The time is now.

Jace doesn't seem to notice though, not looking up from his phone, and Simon can feel his smile faltering, clearing his throat to get Jace's attention and beaming again when he looks up, mildly annoyed.

"Hey," Simon starts, and Jace takes another bite of his fry, shrugging his shoulders.

"Hey," he repeats, starting to look down at his phone again, but Simon puts out a hand to stop him, Jace raising an eyebrow and staring back, Simon squirming in his seat.

"Um. I, uh," Simon tries, feeling all his confidence draining away, though there hadn't really been that much to begin with. Everything he wants to say gets stuck in his throat, and he can feel himself unable to stop stuttering. "Um."

"What d'you want, Simon?" Jace asks with a sigh, looking down at his plate of food and smirking. "What'd you do, forget your lunch money again? Or is your mom back on another health food diet?" Jace slides the tray across the table, gesturing to it. "Help yourself."

"Um, no. I mean, thanks, but no. That's not what I wanted to... um," Simon says, and now Jace is raising both eyebrows, slightly rolling his eyes, and Simon takes another deep breath, giving it one last try. "I just wanted to ask you what, um, you're doing tomorrow? If you have any plans?"

Jace blinks like he hasn't quite heard Simon, and he shakes his head slowly, Simon starting to feel just a bit hopeful.

"I have plans," Jace says then, and Simon feels himself slump down in his seat. So much for that.

"O-oh, okay," he says, his hands shaking a bit, and he reaches for a fry, shoving it into his mouth and staring at his lap.

He should've known. Why would _Jace Lightwood_ be single on Valentine's Day? That really _is_ impossible. Now he just feels silly.

But Jace hasn't stopped staring at him yet, cocking his head to one side, and Simon prays he'll let the conversation drop. But nope, he should've known that wouldn't be happening either.

"Why?" Jace asks curiously, shutting off his phone and setting it aside now. He leans forward, folding his hands on the table, and he frowns. "Why do you wanna know what I'm doing?"

Simon shrugs, reaching for another fry, but Jace slaps his hand away lightly, Simon clearly not getting out of this one easily. He licks his lips, looking at anywhere but Jace.

"Nothing, no reason. I was just wondering," he says, but even he can tell how much he's lying, his voice an uncomfortable octave, and Jace snorts.

"Really? You sure?" he asks, and Simon looks up at him again, feeling his breath catch in his throat, and suddenly it's all coming out.

"Willyoubemyvalentine?" he asks, the words all rushing out as one, and a huge grin breaks out over Jace's face, full of disbelief.

"I'm sorry, _what?_ " he asks, and Simon whimpers a little bit, rubbing his hands together in his lap before taking a deep breath and trying again.

"I was just, uh, I was wondering if you'd be my valentine?" Simon asks, and he can feel his cheeks getting hot as the question leaves his lips, Jace's entire face full of amusement, and Simon is about to abandon all hope and run from the table, try to forget this conversation ever happened. But he's already asked, and he can't stop now.

Jace sits back, quiet for a minute, seeming stunned. "I don't... Why?" he asks, and Simon shrugs.

"Because I've never had someone to spend Valentine's Day with. And I thought maybe if you didn't either, you'd wanna spend the day with me. Just so I could... I don't know, see what's it like, I guess..." Simon starts trailing off before shaking his head repeatedly, gathering up his things and going to stand. "You know what? Forget it," he says, but Jace reaches out to stop him, Simon sitting back down slowly.

Jace's mouth opens and closes a few times, like he isn't sure what to say, before he finally speaks. "So, what, exactly, like a date?" he asks, and Simon feels himself blushing even more as he nods.

"Y-yeah. I mean, just for tomorrow. I'll even pay for you," he offers, wondering if there's any chance Jace will actually say yes to this. His face is so unreadable now, though, it's hard to tell.

"And what would this date entail?" Jace asks, staring at Simon, who shrugs again.

"I don't know, the usual stuff? I thought maybe we could hang out, go to a dinner or movie or something? And then maybe... if you'd want to... go to the dance? With, with me?" Simon feels his throat getting severely dry the more he speaks, and he grabs his water bottle from his bag, taking a huge sip and spluttering as he nearly chokes on it.

This just makes Jace grin more, Simon wiping his mouth on his sleeve, and after another minute of silence, Jace finally nods, Simon not sure if he's imagining it or not.

"Okay," Jace says, picking his phone off the table and turning it back on. "Okay, I'll be your valentine exclusively for tomorrow. We could go to the mall or something. And the dance. But you're paying for everything. And you owe me," Jace says, pointing his finger at Simon, and by the time Clary and Izzy make it over to their table with food in hand, asking what they're talking about, Simon is so lightheaded he thinks he could faint.

* * *

 When Simon wakes up the next day, he spends a good amount of time wondering if his whole conversation with Jace had been a dream. But nope, there's two tickets to the dance in his wallet when he climbs out of bed, exactly where he put them. They're still there after he gets dressed, and after he rushes through a bowl of cereal, too.

They're there when he pulls his van up outside Clary's apartment, and there when he gets to school, too. Clary can tell something is up, she doesn't stop staring at him the entire drive to school, but she doesn't ask until they're officially parked, Simon rooting around in his bag to check one last time.

"What's _with_ you?" she asks with a smile and a laugh, hiking her bag higher up on her shoulder as she steps from the car, Simon locking up behind them and following her through the parking lot towards the front doors of the school. "You've done nothing but smile since I got in the van, you were blasting a playlist full of love songs, and I don't know if it's just me but you smell like an _awful lot_ of body spray. What's up?"

"Okay, but promise not to freak out. Or make a big deal about this," Simon says as he falls in step beside her, his own smile not leaving his face as he does. "I, um, I asked Jace out. To the dance."

Clary stops dead in her tracks as soon as Simon's done talking and he nearly runs right into her, her eyes wide and her face bewildered as she tries to process what it is he's saying.

"You asked out Jace? Like on a date?" she asks, and Simon nods, scratching the back of his neck.

"Well, yeah, sort of. It's just for today, though. We're gonna hang out after school and then go to the dance. He's my, um, my valentine," he says, lowering his voice on the last word, and turns around to start walking again, Clary hurrying to catch up to him.

"Wait, you like Jace? Why didn't you tell me?" she asks, frowning. Simon had been the first person she'd told about Izzy, after all.

"I don't like him, though. At least, I don't think so," Simon says, pausing. _Does_ he like Jace? He isn't sure. "I was just lonely," he adds, softly, and Clary pulls him into a hug.

"I'm sorry, Simon, I didn't realize. Listen, I'm glad you asked him out, this is a good step. Maybe once you find someone you actually _do_ like, it'll give you the courage to ask them out, too," she says, before adding, "you don't think Jace likes you back, though, do you?"

Simon laughs out loud at that, shaking his head. "Jace? Like me? No way. He's just doing me a favor because he feels sorry for me, probably. But it's okay. A date's a date, right?" he asks, shrugging, and Clary smiles encouragingly, nodding.

"Exactly," she says, linking arms with him as they head towards their lockers.

* * *

 First period is hectic for Simon, everyone buzzing about the holiday and the dance, their math teacher trying - and failing - to talk over all the students to get class started. Magnus, in the seat next to Simon, shows him the gift Alec has bought for him.

"It's for good luck and protection," Magnus says, and Simon reaches out to touch it, Magnus beaming, and Simon can't help but feel so happy for them.

"You guys are really starting to get serious, huh?" he asks and Magnus nods, reaching up to toy with his ear cuff.

"Absolutely," Magnus says, a soft smile on his face. "I really care about Alexander."

"I can tell. And I know he really cares about you, too," Simon adds, before squeals erupt around the room, the door at the front of the class opening and two girls step in, one carrying an armful of roses and the other a handful of boxes of chocolates.

They look to be about freshman, Simon thinks, and they go around the room calling out names, handing out the goodies, and Simon watches as faces all around the room light up.

"Magnus Bane?" one of the girls calls, and Magnus signals her over, the girl setting over a dozen roses down on his desk along with a few boxes of chocolates. "You have so many," she whispers in awe, and Magnus begins reading the names on all the cards, seeming a bit flustered now that everyone is staring.

Simon isn't surprised by how many he has, though; Magnus is one of the most seniors in school, and he usually gets the most amount of roses. When he finds a red rose with no card attached, he pulls it from the bouquet and hands it back to the girl, saying, "For you."

The girl turns almost as red as the rose and stutters out a thank you, looking down again and then calling out, "Simon Lewis?"

"Uh, right here," Simon says and the girl turns from Magnus's desk to his, setting down four roses on his desk and the other girl hands him a box of chocolates.

Simon thanks them both and they scurry away, turning to the notes and looking at all the names. There's a red one from Magnus, who's also received one from Simon, and they thank one another. Two white ones, from Izzy and Clary each, and a final pink one.

When Simon picks it up and flips open the note to see who it's from, he feels his eyes starting to  go wide.

_Happy Valentine's Day, Valentine -- J.L._

_J.L._ Jace Lightwood.

Simon feels himself grin at the note, and before he knows it Magnus is leaning over to see, asking who it's from but when Simon pulls the note back, it's too late; he knows Magnus already saw.

Magnus gapes at Simon, a disbelieving look on his face, and he shakes his head. "You and... Jace?" he whispers, his voice low so no one else can hear, and Simon shakes his head quickly in return.

"No, no. Just for today. That's all," he says, though Magnus doesn't seem to believe him.

"Uh huh, sure. Did you send him a rose back?" Magnus asks and Simon squeaks a bit.

"Y-yeah, but I didn't know he was sending one to me. I guess it's just a courtesy, that's all."

"Right," Magnus says, rolling his eyes, but he smiles while he does it.

He whips out his phone then, checking to make sure their teacher isn't watching, and begins typing quickly, Simon frowning some.

"What're you doing?" he asks, and Magnus grins.

"Oh, nothing. Just texting Izzy so we can start planning your wedding."

"Magnus!" Simon hisses, a bit louder than he'd intended, and the teacher is quick to shush them, Simon sinking down into his chair some.

He repeats Jace's note in his head the whole time, though.

* * *

 When the bell finally rings for lunch a few periods later, Simon ducks his head and makes his way into the hall, slowing down when he sees Jace, who's currently trying to open his locker. Jace looks up just then, seeing Simon and smiling, and Simon takes a breath, heading over to him and smiling back.

"Hey, valentine," Simon says, holding up his rose for Jace to see. "Thanks. For this, I mean."

Jace holds up a white one in return, the one Simon picked out for him, and opens up his locker, tossing some books inside before turning back to Simon.

"So we're getting married now, huh?" he asks and Simon groans, smacking his forehead with his palm.

"I'm guessing you talked to Izzy?"

"I did. And Magnus, who thinks we should honeymoon in Spain."

"I'm sorry," Simon moans, but Jace just laughs.

"It's alright, Simon, really."

Simon looks up just then, noticing the top of Jace's locker is filled to the brim with different colored flowers, probably about the same amount Magnus has now, or more, and Jace catches him looking, lightly shoving them back into his locker some.

"So uh, who're they all from?" Simon asks, nodding to the roses, and Jace just grins.

"A few different people from school. Why, you jealous?" he asks, and Simon looks away.

"No," he says, a bit too quickly.

 _Maybe,_ he thinks.

"So, uh, what's the plan for today?" he asks as Jace shuts his locker, crossing his arms and leaning against it. "You said you wanted to go the mall, right?"

"Yeah, sure. Unless there's somewhere else you wanna go?" he asks, but Simon shakes his head.

"No, that's fine. I need to pick up a couple things anyway. I, uh, got our tickets for the dance, too," he adds, and Jace nods.

"Alec is driving Magnus, he said he can take us, too. So we'll swing by your house after you're dressed to get you. Izzy already gave him the address," he says, and Simon nods, noticing just then he's turning and heading for the cafeteria, Simon jogging to catch up to him.

"Sounds great," he says, noticing there's still a white rose in Jace's hand.

The only one he didn't put in his locker with the rest.

That ache starts running deep in Simon's body again.

* * *

 When the final bell of the day rings, Simon quickly shoves all his things into his locker and heads for the front doors. Most of the teachers have a policy of not giving homework the night of a dance, and Simon feels grateful for it. After all, it's less stress, and more time he gets to spend with Jace.

Clary had told him earlier that day she'd be leaving after school with Izzy, so she wouldn't need a ride. They have an appointment to get their hair and makeup done for the dance, Clary adding afterwards that Magnus would be coming with them. The thought makes Simon smile, and before he knows it he's outside at his van, where someone is leaning up against the side, waiting.

Jace looks up when he hears Simon coming and he smiles, pulling his jacket tighter around himself. The air is a biting cold and the sky is gray, little raindrops starting to fall and pelt the windshields of the surrounding cars, and Simon is quick to unlock the car, both of them climbing in and Simon starts the engine, cranking the heat and shivering, praying for it to warm up soon.

"What's Rock Solid Panda?" Jace asks as they both toss their bags into the back of the van, pulling on their seatbelts, and Simon starts his way out of the parking lot.

"Oh, uh, that's the name of my band. Not officially, though. We change it all the time," he says and Jace smirks, sitting back in the seat and rubbing his hands together to warm them up.

"Oh, that's right," he says with a frown, glancing at Simon. "You and Maureen play together, right?" he asks, and Simon nods.

"Yup!" he says, then looks at Jace quickly, nodding to the radio. "Do you, uh, wanna hear some of our stuff by any chance?" he asks, and Jace smiles.

"Yeah? Okay," he says, and Simon tells Jace where his iPod is in his bag, Jace leaning back to grab it and plug it into the van.

He scrolls through the artists until he finds one labeled _My Band_ like Simon's instructed, pressing play and a soft cover of _Forever Young_ starts floating through the speakers, Jace cranking up the volume and sitting back to listen.

"You guys are really good," he says, and Simon grins, turning on the windshield wipers.

"Yeah, you think?" he asks, and Jace nods.

"I think," he says, and that makes them both laugh. Then they're quiet again for a few minutes, Jace listening to the music before he pipes up again. "I, uh, play piano myself," he says softly and Simon feels his eyes go wide.

"Really? I never pictured you as a musician," he says, stuttering. "N-not that that's a bad thing or anything. You just don't look like you'd really be into it. Not that you aren't smart enough for it or anything. Oh, God," Simon says, wanting to squeeze his eyes shut and dissolve right there and then into his seat. "I just mean, uh - "

"It's cool. I get that a lot," Jace says, laughing again, and Simon smiles.

"Maybe you'd like to do a song with me and Maureen one day," he says, and the iPod switches to the next song. It's just Simon on this one, him and his guitar, and Jace closes his eyes for a minute.

"That'd be nice," he says, and then he's quiet again.

Simon watches him from the corner of his eye, watching Jace bob his head slightly to the beat, and Simon clears his throat, making him open his eyes again.

"Thanks, uh, for doing this. For me," Simon says. "I hope the plans you had to cancel weren't too important."

"Don't worry, they weren't," Jace says, and Simon feels relieved to hear it.

They talk about school and music the rest of the ride to the mall, getting caught up in traffic a few times on their way there, and they have to ride around quite a bit to find a parking spot, the rain having turned to little flakes of snow by the time they make it inside.

The mall is crowded and buzzing, Simon unzipping his wet jacket and shivering as people all around them hurry by. Jace's jacket shines where the snow melted on it, and he uses his hand to push his wet hair back, Simon internally cursing at himself for having forgotten his umbrella.

They walk further into the mall side by side, Simon pausing to look at the directory, and Jace stands behind him.

"What did you need to get, anyway?" he asks, and Simon points to the second floor.

"I wanted to grab something for my mom and sister. I usually buy them something on Valentine's Day, something small," he says. "Sorry if that's lame."

"It's not lame. We don't really do that in my family," Jace says as they head for the escalators, hopping on and riding them up a level. "I mean, my siblings and I sometimes do it for each other. Not really my parents, though. They're not into trivial things like that."

They step off onto the second floor and Jace follows Simon through the crowd of people, into a small gift shop, and Simon takes a deep breath, smelling all the scents and heading for the candles before turning to look back at Jace.

"I, um, I don't have a dad," he explains quietly, his eyes filling with tears a bit, and he turns his head away. "So I do it for them because... well he's not here anymore to."

Simon takes a shuddering breath, sniffling, and when he feels a hand on his shoulder he jumps a bit, Jace's face soft with understanding.

"I didn't know that," he says gently, and Simon grabs a candle off the shelf, popping off the glass lid and taking a whiff.

"I don't talk about him a lot. It was a long time ago," he says sadly, and Jace licks his lips, taking the candle from Simon and sniffing it, wrinkling his nose.

"I was adopted. By the Lightwoods. I don't know my real parents," he says, setting the candle back on the shelf and grabbing another one to smell.

Simon blinks at him, surprised. "With how close you and Izzy and Alec are... I never would've thought..."

"That's because they're my brother and sister, no matter what," Jace says, a bit defensively, and Simon holds up both his hands.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that," he says, and Jace sighs.

"Sorry, I know. I guess we both have our issues, huh?" he asks, and Simon nods.

They go up and down the aisles of candles together after that, grabbing jars off and sniffing them, trying to pick out the perfect scent. At one point Simon pauses, watching Jace pick up a pink candle and sniff it. His eyes are closed and he looks very... peaceful, Simon notices, stepping closer.

"Do you like that one?" he asks, and Jace nods, glancing down at the label. It reads _Cherry Blossoms_ , and Simon smiles, taking it from Jace and tucking it under his arm.

They pick out a citrus scent for Simon's sister, and a cinnamon vanilla one for his mom, standing in line at the cash register to pay when they're done.

"What about the pink one? You didn't put it back," Jace points out, though Simon pretends not to hear him, paying and heading from the store with Jace in tow.

"That one's for you," Simon says when they're outside the store. "And I already paid, so this way you can't stop me."

"Simon, you didn't have to - "

"I know," Simon says, cutting him off. "But I wanted to. Really," he adds, and Jace grins at him.

They spend the rest of the day popping in and out of various shops. First Jace tries on shoes, Simon trying on a pair of neon purple sneakers, striking poses which Jace takes photos of, and they both laugh, earning odd looks from the saleswoman.

Next they go into a sunglasses store, trying on different pairs shaped like hearts and suns, ones that look 3D and ones with bows on top. They take photos and make faces at each other, Jace finding a nice black pair but wincing at the price tag, telling Simon he'll come back for them in the summer.

After that they head into a tux shop, Jace seeming to know what he's doing while Simon stands off to the side, feeling out of place. When Jace walks up to him with two matching pink ties, Simon almost thinks he's kidding, but Jace shakes his head, paying and saying they're for the dance.

Simon's stomach begins to rumble after that, which makes him blush and Jace laugh, the two heading to the third floor where the food court is, standing in line at one stall and ordering burgers and curly fries and shakes. Simon reaches to take the fries off the counter at the same time Jace does, the two bumping hands and pulling back.

"I got it," Jace says, and they grab all the food, finding an empty table and sitting down, putting their shopping bags underneath by their feet.

The first thing Simon does is pull the lid off his shake and dip a fry in it, Jace making a disgusted face and Simon laughs, waving it in the air and Jace winces, pulling away.

"What, too gross for you?" he asks, and Jace swats him away, Simon popping the fry into his mouth and chewing loudly. Jace picks up another fry then and throws it at his head, Simon groaning when it gets stuck in his hair before tossing it down onto the table.

Jace takes a bit of his burger and chews thoughtfully, sipping his shake before wiping his hands on a napkin, looking at Simon.

"So I gotta ask," he starts. "Why didn't you ask someone else to be your valentine? Why me?"

"I told you, I've never had someone to spend the day with. I just... wanted someone, that's all."

"But there's plenty of single people in our grade, Simon," Jace points out, but Simon just shrugs, pulling off a piece of overhanging cheese from his burger and popping it into his mouth.

"None of them pay attention to me though," he says quietly, after a moment. "I don't have a lot of friends, Jace, outside of you guys. I'm 'the nerd.' " Simon puts air quotes around the last two words. "Remember?"

"That's not true. I mean, you are a nerd," Jace says with a smirk. "But people pay attention to you."

"No, they don't. You didn't, when I first started sitting at your table this year. You ignored me, or made fun of me," Simon says, then looks away, Jace pressing his mouth into a thin line.

"You're right, I'm sorry. I was an ass to you for a long time, I never meant to hurt your feelings."

"Thank you for apologizing," Simon says. "It doesn't really matter anymore though. I mean, it's in the past, since we're friends now, right?"

"Right," Jace repeats. "I promise."

* * *

 The snow finally begins to stop once they start heading home, though a good amount has piled up while they were shopping, the sky starting to grow dark as the sun goes down. Simon follows Jace's directions to his house from the mall, and when Simon pulls up by the curb, he whistles.

The Lightwood house is pretty large, built in nice brown stone and sitting framed by a decent sized yard. A four car garage juts out from the side of the house, and Simon wonders if Jace has his own car, voicing as much, and Jace grins, telling Simon about his motorcycle.

"Maybe I could give you a ride sometime," he offers and Simon smiles, nodding. "Great. We'll be by to pick you up in about an hour, then," Jace says, pausing as if he wants to say more before stepping from Simon's van and running up the front walk, clutching his new tie and candle while he goes.

The drive home alone, though, Simon doesn't do much smiling. He blasts his playlist for when he's in a bad mood, no love songs or sad songs anywhere on it, and when he gets home he lays facedown on his bed for a while, knowing he needs to shower and change but not in the mood to.

He aches again. Suddenly everything about Jace seems... different. He thought this would just be a one-and-done thing; that Jace would take pity on him, do this, and then they'd go back to the sort-of friendship they had before. Except now, Simon isn't sure he wants that.

Now, he thinks he wants more.

"Oh, crap," Simon mutters into his pillows.

Even he's not sure how this happened.

* * *

 Simon quickly showers and gets dressed once he realizes how little time he has left before Jace shows up, pulling on his new tie before giving his mom and sister their gifts, the two of them giving him a new comic book in return. Simon sits on the couch reading through it until he hears the doorbell ring, his mom rushing to get it, and he stands behind her while she opens the door, revealing Jace standing on the other side.

Like Simon, he's in a black suit proudly wearing his pink tie, and Elaine ushers him inside, forcing them to stand in front of the door "just for a quick picture or two."

 _"Mom,"_ Simon whines, feeling completely embarrassed, but Jace just wraps an arm around Simon's waist and pulls him close, saying it's okay and smiling big for the camera.

Rebecca frowns at the two as she watches from the doorway to the kitchen, pointing at them both. "Did you buy matching ties?" she asks, starting to grin, but Simon gives a quick, "Okay gotta go love you bye," before pulling Jace out the door with him, running for Alec's idling car.

Jace and Simon climb in the backseat, and Magnus turns around to inspect them, snapping a quick photo with his phone, the lights inside the car really making his blue eyeliner glitter.

"Don't you two look nice?" he says, leaning back to snap a photo of himself with the both of them, and Jace smiles at Simon warmly.

"Your family is really nice," he says, and Simon smiles in return, their arms gently brushing together when Alec goes over a speed bump.

* * *

 The parking lot of the school is already filling up with cars by the time they get there, the walls rattling with the bass as they step inside and make their way to the gym. Maia, Maureen, Clary, and Izzy are all waiting at the check-in booth for them when they arrive, all four of them decked out in tall heels and beautiful dresses.

Luke Garroway is standing off to the side with them as well, his badge in full display, and he pulls Simon into a hug when he sees him, Simon grinning.

"What're you doing here?" he asks, and Luke jabs his thumb back in the direction of the dance.

"Security detail _and_ DJ for the night, just to be on the safe side," he says with a wink, then smiles proudly. "You look really great, Simon."

"Thanks, Luke," Simon says, handing his and Jace's tickets over, and they walk into the dance together, the others trailing in behind them.

Almost instantly, Simon notices multiple people staring at him. At first he wonders if they saw him talking to Luke, then he thinks it's maybe because of the girls looking as wonderful as they do. When Simon makes his way to the punch bowl alone, though, pouring drinks for Jace and himself, the eyes don't leave him, and suddenly he starts to feel hot under his suit.

Simon pushes through the crowd back to the table Jace has secured, nearly spilling their drinks as he sits down, ducking his head and scratching his neck. The floor vibrates from the music, and Simon jumps when Jace leans in close to talk into his ear.

"Is everything alright?" he asks with a frown and Simon nods, sipping his punch before sitting back.

"Yeah, no, everything's fine!" he yells over the music, then sighs. "I just... people keep staring at me."

"Why?"

"Probably because I came here with you."

Jace laughs at that, standing up and holding out his hand, Simon hesitating to take it.

"C'mon," Jace says, nodding towards the dance floor where a cluster of kids are trying to dance in time to the beat. "Let's give them something to stare about, then."

Simon lets Jace take his hand, noticing how smooth and warm Jace's skin is, and they make their way over into the crowd with the others, Simon suddenly feeling awkward about being there at all.

He's not really good at dancing, not like Jace, and certainly not like Magnus, who already has a small crowd watching him and Alec. Simon smiles in their direction and suddenly Jace grabs him, spinning him around, Jace's hair flopping into his eyes and he laughs, moving it back.

"C'mon, Lewis, you can't just stand there! You're supposed to dance!"

"But I don't know how!" Simon calls over the roar of the crowd, biting his lip and trying to tug his arm away. "Maybe we should just go sit back down."

Jace frowns at that, glancing over at the DJ booth, where Luke has now officially taken over, Jace holding up one finger to Simon and telling him he'll be right back, dodging his way through the crowd and over to the booth.

Simon watches as Luke leans his head down, Jace talking into his ear and Luke straightens back up, looking in Simon's direction and nodding, and suddenly the beat changes, slowing down almost painfully so, and Simon watches as everyone pairs off, pulling close together and gently gliding around.

Jace finds his way back to Simon and offers his hand again, this time Simon not hesitating to take it, and Jace's other arm finds its way around the small of his back, Jace leading and the two push right up against each other, staring into one another's eyes.

Simon can smell Jace's cologne and he can't help but think how it smells really nice, and how bright Jace's teeth are, and his eyes too.

Simon blinks to clear the thoughts away, clearing his throat too and lowering his voice.

"Thank you for helping me pick out those candles today, my family really loved them," he says and Jace nods.

"Any time," he says. "Thanks for the candle you bought me. Izzy's already been trying to steal it since I got home."

"Thank you for the tie," Simon counters.

"You look really nice in it."

"So do you."

Simon can feel his cheeks starting to heat up as the lights begin to dim lower, Simon taking a shuddering breath and he closes his eyes for a moment, Jace still staring at him when he opens them again.

"You're the best valentine I've ever had," he whispers, and they both laugh, though Simon's heart pangs, because it's true.

Jace suddenly looks nervous then, licking his lips as he leans closer to Simon, their foreheads almost touching.

"I was thinking," he begins, and Simon stares up at him with wide eyes. "Maybe... maybe I can be your valentine tomorrow, too?" he asks, seeming hopeful, but Simon just blinks at him.

"What, uh, what d'you mean?" he asks, suddenly feeling breathless, and Jace looks about the same.

"I mean, maybe do you wanna go see a movie with me this weekend? Like, a second date?"

"Oh," Simon whispers softly, his fingers feeling like they're tingling. "I'd, I'd love to," he says, and Jace beams.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," Simon repeats, feeling some slight confidence bubbling in his chest, as he leans in a little bit closer. "Jace, can I kiss you?" he whispers, wondering if maybe he shouldn't have, wondering if maybe it's too soon, because Jace looks a bit surprised, but then he's nodding his head.

Their noses brush together as they kiss, soft and light, and Jace's eyes sparkle when they open again, both of them letting out a content sigh, laughing together, before Jace hums lowly.

"Will you do that again?" he asks, and Simon nods, their lips brushing together again as their mouths fit perfectly against one another.

They spend some time standing like that, kissing gently while they dance and touching one another's cheeks, music tinkling over the speakers.

Simon recognizes the song; _The Way You Look Tonight._ It's one of his favorites. And now for a very good reason.


End file.
